San Bernardino County
Population; 22,000
Location and origin
Barstow lies northeast of San Bernardino, at the foot of the Calico Mountains and at the intersection of the U.S. 15, U.S. 40 and CA 58 highways. Founded in the year 1880, it did not attain economic importance until a decade later, when gold and silver was
found in the hills. This upsurge was further fostered by the nearby military no-go area of Fort Irwin, with its weapon testing grounds, and by its favorable position as a setting-off point for expeditions and trips into Death Valley National Monument as well as into the Mojave Desert.